Centering on high school teens Riley Jones (Shanley Caswell), Clapton Davis (Josh Hutcherson), Sander Sanderson (Aaron David Johnson) and Ione (Spencer Locke), the basic premise sees the group being targeted by a killer dressed as in-movie horror character Cinderhella.

The tangents it happens to veer off on during its relatively tight running time have to be seen to be believed. And, most definitely, it will warrant multiple viewings just to ensure you catch all the little pop culture references and nuances that make it such a fun ride.

As we've come to expect from Khan, the style is something to be appreciated. The opening credits alone are entertaining in the way they're presented.

Of the cast, Hutcherson and Caswell are the standouts. Riley pines for Clapton while her ex-pal Ione salivates all over him. It's that typical high school affliction - unrequited love - and it's endearing.

There are some genuinely funny exchanges between the characters as they see the finger of blame being pointed at them one-by-one while the bodycount rises.

However, the big issues that come with Detention are hard to ignore. On more than one occasion things become so incoherent and messy that it's difficult to know just what's going on.

By the time the comedy-horror shoe-horns in sci-fi elements (we even have deliberate referencing of Cronenberg's The Fly to contend with) the film is perilously close to becoming a mess.

Thankfully, it's saved by its own self-awareness and the young cast who manage to remain likeable throughout.

It's refreshing in this age of people bending over backwards to please the studio folk that we have film-makers like Kahn who bow to no-one and make the films THEY want to make.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but Detention is a entertaining and mental ride that deserves an audience.